museums

La Maison Dufort: Defining Haitian Architecture in Port-au-Prince

November 11, 2022 by Anton Lau

La Maison Dufort

In the quiet residential area of Bois-Verna in Port-au-Prince, you will find la Maison Dufort (the Dufort House), one of the jewels of the emblematic architectural style of Gingerbread houses in Haiti. It is a vestige of this architectural style that was especially popular around the turn of the century in Haiti – in cities such as Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, Cap-Haïtien, or Jérémie.

With their particular charm, these houses have managed to remarkably resist Haiti’s hot and humid tropical climate, not to mention numerous natural disasters over the years. Nowadays, they constitute an integral part of Haiti’s architectural heritage, and the Dufort House is undoubtedly one of the most curious examples of this classic and refined architecture.

The Dufort House: Over a century of History

The house is also in a quiet area of Port-au-Prince where art lovers of all kinds can meet to display their works, discuss art during a gallery opening, and admire the exhibitions that cover the walls of the charming house. Or you can simply enjoy a cold beer during a show or concert.

If you ever take a detour between 2nd and 3rd Avenues du Travail, it is unlikely you’ll resist the flowery façade, old wooden doors, pointed roofs, and magnificent balconies of the Dufort House. The arrangement of these architectural elements gives the structure an eclectic look that contrasts with the peaceful neighborhood of Bois-Verna. The Dufort House is a true architectural masterpiece and one of the most remarkable examples of this typically twentieth-century Haitian style.

Haitian architect Léon Mathon, one of the three main architects who would popularize this architectural style in Haiti, designed the house in 1910. Like most of the other Gingerbread houses built during this period, it was first used as a family residence, belonging to – none other than – the powerful Dufort family. The structure was then used as an office building until 2010, when the January 12 earthquake severely damaged it.

Buche Perico restaurant in Santo Domingo — Veranda area of La Maison Dufort
Photo: Franck Fontain

A walk through Maison Dufort

The Dufort House presents its visitors with an agreeable mix of opulence, elegance, class, and comfort. The building is nestled amidst a rustic setting that consists of a 1,200 square meter paved courtyard, a bougainvillea garden, and flowerbeds all around the house. Taken all together, it’s a serene setting where you can quickly forget the somewhat chaotic feeling of Port-au-Prince’s urban center.

The main entrance leads into a vestibule that connects to three other rooms. Opposite the vestibule is a magnificent wooden spiral staircase that leads to the second level. The second level’s high roof, beautiful casement windows, wooden floor, and balcony are all typical of Gingerbread architecture. These elements ensure that the rooms on the upper level maintain a pleasant ambient temperature, thanks to the constant breeze.

The Dufort House is of particular architectural interest, as it combines the two most distinctive features of Haitian Gingerbread architecture. While some buildings of this type are either entirely brick or entirely wood, the Dufort House elegantly combines these two varieties. The first level has a concrete and brick frame, but the second level is made entirely of wood, not to mention its wooden balcony, which is an unmistakable feature of these historic homes.

Le Musée Dufort

The Dufort House Museum is currently run by Fondasyon Konesans ak Libète (the FOKAL Foundation), which uses it as a museum for the various exhibitions it organizes with other partners, such as Centre d’Art (the Art Center). The Dufort House hosts major artistic and cultural events, including the Vives exhibition in January and February of 2022, and still presents other seasonal exhibitions or cultural activities.

In 2016, the house and museum were renovated with the support of FOKAL and WMF as part of a worksite dedicated to preserving the architectural heritage of Gingerbread houses in Haiti. It has been operational and open to the public since.

Today, the House and Museum are Port-au-Prince’s true refuge for art enthusiasts. Just finding oneself inside its timeless setting makes the trip well worth it. The structure is a work of art itself, and the exhibits will make you want to visit time and again.

How to visit

The Dufort House and Museum are located at number 9 on the 2nd Rue du Travail, in Port-au-Prince, right down the street from Saint Adres medical institute, between the 1st Rue du Travail and Rue Vilmenay. The fastest route is from Champs-de-Mars via Avenue Charles Sumner, which then forks into the Second Avenue du Travail. Hiring a taxi would be most ideal.

Written by Costaguinov Baptiste.

Published November 2020.

Find La Maison Dufort

External Links

Check out upcoming events at Maison Dufort.

FOKAL.ORG

Explore Haiti’s History & Heritage

Moulin Sur Mer

October 3, 2020 by Anton Lau

haitian beach resort with palm trees — Moulin Sur Mer on the Arcadins Coast
Photo: Moulin Sur Mer

Moulin Sur Mer

Moulin-sur-Mer is one of the Arcadins Coast’s star destinations; with idyllic sunsets and a warm tropical atmosphere, it is sure to capture the quintessential island lover.

First Impressions

The Arcadins Coast is one of Haiti’s greatest prides. Located in Montrouis, a few miles away from the capital, it faces the largest island nestled in the country’s bay: the island of La Gonave. In front of this turquoise blue ocean with beautiful waves and idyllic sunsets is where Moulin-sur-Mer rises.

Rooms

Moulin-sur-Mer features Hibiscus and Ginger rooms, the difference mostly lying in the decor choices. Bungalows, as well as classics and suites are available in classic Caribbean-style decor, highlighting Haitian art at every turn. If you want to be closer to the sea, you’ll want to book a bungalow; however, if you want to be closer to the amenities on the main grounds, a classic room or a suite would better suit your needs.

What’s for breakfast?

Breakfast at Moulin-sur-Mer is served at the Voomtak, their main seaside dining area, where local and international cuisine mingle for culinary good. Being so close to the Montrouis farmers market means that fresh, local produce will always grace your plate. Enjoy made-to-order omelets, fresh fruit, baked goods, standard international breakfast staples, but also Haitian breakfast stars like pasta or oatmeal.

How about lunch and dinner?

Voomtak also serves lunch and dinner. Again, here, Haitian food specialties like djondjon rice or seafood etouffées sit alongside fresh vegetables coming straight from the nearby market. Discover the ways international cuisine like stir-fry crosses path with Haitian spices. The Taino Lounge offers a menu of its own, as well as lively happy hours. Should you want a different, more intimate dining experience, the Captain’s Pagoda is a more discreet options that is also available to you.

Is there a bar?

If you’re looking to enjoy a delicious, refreshing drink, poolside or seaside, make a stop at the Moulin’s Cabaret. Classic drinks and exclusive cocktails make for star-studded afternoons and evenings. Happy hours here are very popular, and highly recommended!

Activities and amenities

Moulin’s main amenity is its marina. From scuba diving to water sports to PADI-certified courses, it’s an ocean lover’s paradise. Excursions are also available, both on land and on boats. Explore the depth of the Haitian coastline, both on and off the water.

Within a short walk you can find…

Before even getting out of your city clothes and into your bathing suit, you will walk past the Ogier Fombrun museum, where you can learn more about the city of Montrouis and its inhabitants. The museum is guarded in a colonial building that has lost none of its charm, and that is surrounded by coconut trees amongst other foliage that does nothing but add to its beauty.

Need to know (before you go)

Moulin-sur-Mer offers different packages based on your stay’s needs. If you are just stopping by, or taking advantage of your last day on the island, consider a Day Pass. If however, you’d like to dedicate time to this area of the island, an all-inclusive offer or a Stay & Dive package might be best for you.

Getting there

For directions and bookings visit Moulin Sur Mer on Hotels.com

Looking for some cool things to do?

Visit a museum dedicated to Vodou

September 13, 2019 by admin

large museum building decorated with snake paintings — The Bureau of Ethnology, Port-au-Prince
Photo: Anton Lau

Visit a museum dedicated to Vodou

A visit to the Bureau of Ethnology, a museum dedicated to Vodou in Haiti, is one of the top things to do in Port-au-Prince.

Near Champ de Mars at the corner of Rue Magny and Rue Oswald Durand, this museum allows you to get acquainted with Vodou and its place in Haitian society.

This is the best place to begin an exploration of “lwa” and the many rhythms and shades of Vodou. Inside, you’ll find Vodou artifacts, artwork and anecdotes of anthropological research on Vodou (also spelled Vodoun and Vaudou) traditions. Most of the exhibits are described in French.

bronze statue of taino indian in museum courtyard — Taíno statue at The Bureau of Ethnology, Port-au-Prince
Photo: Anton Lau

About the collection

The exterior facades of the National Ethnology Office house a permanent photo exhibition on several aspects of the life and activities of Haitian society: scenes of the Haitian national carnival, Vodou rituals, Vodou-infused folk dance and more.

The interior offers an equally captivating photo exhibition of scenes of social and cultural customs specific to the Haitian nation, including national costumes and their histories. Haitian artists are also represented here, accompanied by interpretive material (mostly written in French). Key spiritual concepts, from the “lakou mansson” of Léogâne (Haitian Creole: Leyogàn) to the “lakou Badjo, Soukri, Souvenance” of Gonaïves, are depicted together with explanations of their importance in Haitian society.

Founded in 1941 by Haitian novelist Jacques Roumain and run today by Erol Josué, the museum has as its mission the preservation and classification of all anthropological artefacts found on the Haitian side of the island of Hispaniola, including protecting and organising excursions to important archaeological sites. It’s possible for visitors to join some of these – just ask when you get to the museum.

bronze statue of wild boar — Statue at The Bureau of Ethnology, Port-au-Prince
Photo: Anton Lau

Getting there

Signposted as the Bureau National d’Ethnologie, The Bureau of Ethnology is on the corner of Rue Magny and Rue Oswald Durand, close to Champ de Mars in the heart of downtown Port-au-Prince.

Written by Jean Fils.

Published September 2019

Find the Bureau of Ethnology

External Links

Learn more about Erol Josué

Interview with Erol Josué

Check out the Bureau’s Facebook page

FACEBOOK

Explore more of Haiti’s history

The Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon

July 21, 2019 by Editor

interior of haitian MUPANAH museum with golden sculptures — MUPANAH – Museum of The Haitian National Pantheon
Photo: Anton Lau

The Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon

Built partially underground, this museum displays artefacts illustrating Haiti’s history with an emphasis on its revolutionary years and its political and cultural forefathers. Get up close to artefacts from a Colombus ship, slave shackles, murder weapons and the bell that rang in independence.

About the museum

Much of Haitian heritage is preserved orally. Songs, stories and structured debates rehearse and refine the histories and experiences down the centuries. As a visitor, you can only scratch the surface of this unseen medium of memory. If you’re in Champ-de-Mars, and you’re lucky, you might witness the debate circles that are part of the island nation’s oral tradition.

Material cultural memories, however, are a little easier for the curious traveller to find. If you’re in downtown Champ-de-Mars, you can find it in the Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon, or MUPANAH. Built partially underground, this museum displays artefacts illustrating Haiti’s history with an emphasis on its revolutionary years and its political and cultural forefathers.

Thanks to being partly underground, the museum survived the massive earthquake of 2010 almost unscathed. First opened in 1983, MUPANAH was designed to safeguard and display the lives and accomplishments of the country’s important forefathers: Alexandre Pétion, Henry Christophe, Toussaint Louverture, and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. This is where a lot of Haiti’s physical colonial history is kept intact.

What you’ll see

For a small fee, visitors get access to a wealth of history on Haiti and its past. Self-designated as the guardian of Haitian history, the museum is split into two show rooms: a permanent exhibit, and a temporary exhibit.

The permanent exhibit showcases artefacts from the pre-Columbian period to the contemporary period. It emphasizes the revolutionary period, during which an army of self-freed slaves and free people of color fought off the colonial system to abolish slavery.

A tour guide take visitors through Haitian history, starting off with the Taíno people who first inhabited the island. Visitors are walked through the voyages of the first colonizers to set foot on the island: the Spaniards.

Learn how Spanish colonizers used the Taíno people of the island as a resource, and how it came about that they began to traffic African slaves to Hispaniola as well.

See real examples of the actual shackles that were used to keep slaves under control, alongside gruesome instruments of torture used the slave masters. While this may be shocking for some visitors, the museum and its advisory board believe this is an important part of Haitian history that should be kept alive for the sake of our collective memory.

See the anchor of the Santa Maria ship – on which Christopher Colombus arrived in Haiti – standing at a daunting thirteen feet tall. This cold hunk of metal is a chilling reminder of the trigger that began the centuries of upheaval now embedded in the Haiti’s history and national identity.

Read documents signed by, and belonging to, prominent presidents – such as noted dictator François Duvalier – the museum also features the silver handgun which Henri Christophe used to commit suicide. On a more uplifting note, you’ll get to see the bell that was rung to announce that the country’s population were claiming their independence.

Temporary exhibits

The temporary exhibit displays artworks from various Haitian artists, and rotates on a regular basis. The art is often chosen based on a particular theme, including current events, music, social and economic issues, or historical events such as French colonisation.

Relax in gorgeous gardens

Outside of the museum are the MUPANAH Gardens. Open from Monday to Saturday, the Gardens are set in a lovely white greenhouse-like space with large open windows throughout. Light, airy, and expansive, the Gardens are a much needed antidote to Haiti’s often heavy history, and are a worthy destination in their own right for anyone looking for fresh air and tranquility in Port-au-Prince.

The Gardens feature a sculpture garden and sitting area set in the middle of typical Haitian greenery, and house the museum’s restaurant and gift shop. Overlooking the lush green spaces surrounding the museum, you can dig into some of the city’s best French cuisine. Sitting at a table in the Gardens for lunch is an upscale outdoor dining experience – a vivid contrast to the sizzling street food scene of downtown Port-au-Prince.

The Gardens also serve as a popular location for cultural events all year round, including the International Jazz Festival of Port-au-Prince. Special events, meals, or cocktails are announced at the venue itself, but also via social media.

Getting there

The museum is open seven days a week, including holidays. Tours are offered in French, Creole, and in English.

The Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon is located in Champs de Mars, downtown Port-au-Prince.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published July 2019

Find the Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon

External Links

Find out more about the Museum

Wikipedia

Follow MUPANAH on Facebook

Facebook

Our recommendations

Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

April 14, 2019 by Editor

Visit Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

Once a working sugar cane plantation, Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre has been transformed into a open-air museum where visitors can see what Caribbean plantation life was like in 1803, through its collection of colonial-style sugar cane boilers, presses, mills, and even an old narrow gauge steam train.

What was Caribbean plantation life like? See for yourself!

With its well-preserved cane pressing machinery, distilleries and historical buildings, spread over multiple acres, a visit here offers tactile insight into the days when it was fully-functioning, in the era when Haiti was in the last stages of its struggle for independence. Up to the early 19th century, cane sugar and its products played a huge role in Haiti’s internal economy and international trade. The museum pays tribute to the role Haiti played in the global balance of power at the time.

Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre
Photo: Franck Fontain

The museum’s formal buildings are divided into themed rooms. One of the most popular is the Taíno-Amerindian room. It contains original artifacts from the pre-Colombus era, when Hispaniola was populated by Taíno and Arawak Amerindians. The household items and religious relics provide a treasure of insight into life before Christopher Columbus’ arrival in 1492.

Taking a guided tour through the park is a great way to understand more of what you’ll see. In the grounds you’ll stumble across a genuine steam engine parked on the grass. Follow the stone paths and you’ll find water mills, aqueducts, a rum distillery, and many other vestiges of plantation life. Everything has been preserved in its original form by the Auguste family. History buffs are in for a treat.

Events

As well as serving as Haiti’s premiere colonial era museum, the former plantation also hosts a variety of forward-focused cultural events. Jazz festivals have been taking place since 2007 and every December the park holds open-air concerts with Haitian headliners like Ram and Tabou Combo.

The annual October artisan market, Artisanat en Fete, is Haiti’s biggest craft fair. Every year 200-300 Haitian artisans are invited to Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre to sell their wares. Thousands of tourists and residents descend on the Parc to do early Christmas shopping over a long weekend.

At the Artisanat en Fete you’ll find the full gamut of artisan products, from food, wine, honey and hot sauces to handbags, fashion, home décor, hammered metal and living room sets carved out of driftwood. It’s a three day extravaganza of food, shopping, and networking that cannot be missed!

The park has been updated to include some post-1800 comforts like bathrooms, restaurant stalls, and pavilions, making it a pleasant way to spend a day. Stone pathways zig-zag through the grass and when the tropical trees are in bloom the falling red flowers lay a flame-colored carpet across the grass.

Getting there

To find Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre, drive down Boulevard du 15 Octobre until you reach the American Embassy. The park’s main entrance is located across the street behind decorative metal fences arched in bougainvillea flowers.

Written by Emily Bauman.

Published April 2019

Find Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

External Links

Follow the Park on Facebook

Facebook

Our Recommendations

Citadelle Henri

April 4, 2019 by admin

Aerial view of Citadelle Laferrière and mountain range, Haiti — Citadelle Laferrière, Milot
Photo: Ricardo Lartigue

Citadelle Henri

Citadelle Henri is the largest fortress in the Americas.

Citadelle Henri, known to locals simply as La Citadelle, is the largest fortress in the Americas. Haitians call it the eighth wonder of the world and, if you make it up the summit of Pic Laferrière, you’ll see why.

The mountaintop fortress is massive, rising a vertiginous hundred and thirty feet from the mountaintop of Bonnet a L’Eveque, around 3000 feet above sea level. The Citadelle commands unparalleled views in every direction over the surrounding landscape of jungle-clad mountains, rivers and ocean.

Citadelle Henri, Milot
Photo: Anton Lau

What You’ll See

The imposing structure was built to demonstrate the power of a newly-independent Haiti, but also to protect its citizens if the French attempted to retake the nation. The 100,000 square feet building includes several cisterns and storehouses, designed to provide enough food and water for the royal family and up to 5000 people to survive an entire year under siege.

The Citadelle is equipped with over 150 cannons – mostly captured in battle from the English, the French and the Spanish – and thousands of cannon balls, once over 50,000 in total. With such an armory and walls over 13 feet wide and 100 feet high, the fortress was impenetrable.

Fortunately, the French never returned, the canons were never fired in combat, and the Citadelle is much the same today as it was 200 years ago.

Visitors can spend a few hours exploring the historic site. You’ll discover ramparts, drawbridges, canon batteries, galleries, corridors, hidden passages and blind corners designed to outwit invaders. Most of the windows and ramparts overlook sheer drops down the flanks of Pic Laferrière, and beyond that offer spectacular views of the north of Haiti. Inside the courtyard there’s a brand-new museum, gallery and restroom, as well as a small gift shop selling drinks and postcards.

Citadelle Laferrière is Haiti’s most popular tourist destination for Haitians and visitors alike, and occupies a visible place of pride in Haitian culture. You’ll recognise the signature triangular façade on 5 HTG coins and 100 HTG bills, and on the covers of children’s school textbooks.

citadelle Laferrière, Haiti, with mountains in background — Citadelle Laferrière in Milot
Photo: Angelo Miramonti

History

Citadelle Laferrière was constructed between 1805 and 1820, after the African-descended population of Haiti led a successful revolution to throw off their colonial enslavers and declare independence from France. It took 15 years and 20,000 people to build.

Citadelle Laferrière was part of a larger fortification system which included Fort Jacques and Fort Alexandre; all built to protect Haiti from future attacks by colonizers who might sail over from neighboring islands. While other forts were built earlier as part of the revolution, the construction of Citadelle Laferrière was ordered by Henri Christophe in 1805, in the year following the achievement of independence.

The Citadelle towers one hundred and thirty feet over the mountaintop, but even standing at the base of the fortress, you can see far out to sea. More importantly, the Citadelle could be seen from far out at sea – the fortress was a sign to any would-be challengers sailing toward the newly-free nation that Haiti was prepared to defend itself. Overseen by Christophe, construction of the Citadelle was completed in 1820.

A woman hikes up the path to Citadelle Laferrière, Haiti — Citadelle Laferrière, Haiti
Photo: Angelo Miramonti

Getting there

The Citadelle is located in the town of Milot, a six- to eight-hour drive north of Port-au-Prince.

The path to the Citadelle begins near the entrance to the nearby Sans-Souci Palace. Here, you will be asked to pay a small fee, and a local guide can accompany you to the top. You’ll also find vendors at Sans-Souci, offering drinks and snacks to fuel your hike and souvenirs once you’ve returned.

To make your way up the summit to the Citadelle itself, you have two options: hiking on foot or, for US$15, riding on horseback. Both options are just as scenic and authentic, and both offer their own type of adventure.

The route from Sans-Souci to the Citadalle is only 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) but the climb is significant at over 2000 feet (700 metres), so expect the hike to take you more than two hours. For this reason, you might prefer to stay overnight in Milot or Cap-Haïtien rather than attempting the hike after a long trip from Port-au-Prince or elsewhere.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published April 2019

Find Citadelle Laferrière

External Links

Check out the latest visitors reviews

Tripadvisor

Read more about the Citadelle on Wikipedia

Wikipedia

Ã—Select Language

museums

La Maison Dufort

start your day the Haitian way

The Dufort House: Over a century of History

A walk through Maison Dufort

Le Musée Dufort

start your day the Haitian way

How to visit

Find La Maison Dufort

External Links

The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Haiti

Explore Haiti’s History & Heritage

Paradise for your inbox

Moulin Sur Mer

First Impressions

Rooms

What’s for breakfast?

How about lunch and dinner?

Is there a bar?

Activities and amenities

Within a short walk you can find…

Need to know (before you go)

Getting there

Moulin Sur Mer

Your pocket guide to Cap-Haïtien

Looking for some cool things to do?

Paradise for your inbox

Visit a museum dedicated to Vodou

From Our Land to Your Home

About the collection

Getting there

Find the Bureau of Ethnology

External Links

The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Haiti

Explore more of Haiti’s history

Paradise for your inbox

The Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon

Built partially underground, this museum displays artefacts illustrating Haiti’s history with an emphasis on its revolutionary years and its political and cultural forefathers. Get up close to artefacts from a Colombus ship, slave shackles, murder weapons and the bell that rang in independence.

About the museum

The Birds of Haiti on Your Wall

What you’ll see

Temporary exhibits

a touch of haitian wisdom

Relax in gorgeous gardens

Getting there

Find the Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon

External Links

Haitian Cultural Traditions You Didn’t Know About

Our recommendations

Paradise for your inbox

Visit Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

What was Caribbean plantation life like? See for yourself!

Discover Sacred Vodou Symbols!

Events

Getting there

Find Parc Historique de la Canne à Sucre

External Links

Go on a self-guided tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses

Our Recommendations

Paradise for your inbox

Citadelle Henri

Citadelle Henri is the largest fortress in the Americas.

What You’ll See

The Birds of Haiti on Your Wall

History

Getting there

From Our Land to Your Home

The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Haiti

Find Citadelle Laferrière

External Links

Top things to see around Cap-Haïtien

Paradise for your inbox

Plan Your Trip

Destinations

Information

Company

Plan Your Trip

Destinations

Information

Select Language

start your day
the Haitian way

start your day
the Haitian way

a touch of
haitian wisdom

Go on a self-guided
tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses